About a month ago, my husband brought the bathtub outside on a hot day to help the sweaty baby cool off. We don't have a wading pool. Since she hadn't been bathed in a while (frequent occurrence), he decided he might as well suds her up while she was enjoying cooling off and splashing around. When the baby was ready to get out, the 3yo (who often resists baths) decided she wanted in on the action as well, and so she also got a very much needed bath that afternoon. What a success! We have since given all baths outside.

Here is why outside baths are such a brilliant idea:

Should I pour the water down the drain (inducing eco-guilt) or lug it outside? Neither! Just turn the bathtub over and you've watered your thirsty lawn/ plants.

Is your kid splashing the water all over the place? No worries, just water for the plants.

Is your back killing you from reaching over the bathtub edge and awkwardly trying to get around all sides of the baby? Outside you have easy access from all angles.

Do your older children try to participate in the baby's bath? Outside, they aren't a nuisance or in your way because there's room for everyone.

Does your baby get bored and fussy in the bath? My baby doesn't fuss during an outdoor bath because she loves to be outside! In my experience, being outdoors instantly soothes babies.

Does your toddler/ preschooler jump out of the bath and run all over the place naked and dripping wet? Outside, you just rinse off her dirty feet before carrying her inside to be dressed. No wet floors to mop up.

Do you love to take photos of your kids in the bathtub? The lighting is better outside!

[This is where I would insert a very cute picture of my naked baby in the bath if I were not a privacy nut.]

Really, I can't believe I didn't think of the outdoor bath earlier. I mean, people bathe their dogs outside, why not kids? After all, toddler and puppy behavior is remarkably similar. In case you are wondering, we use a combination of hose water and water from the kitchen tap microwaved briefly for the bathwater. Or sometimes my husband fills up a big stock pot of warm water from the bathtub and brings that outside. So he's still lugging water, but in a pot instead of in the bathtub.

I'll be sad when the weather turns cold and baths go back inside. But, for now, we are enjoying our baths under the summer sky.

What a great idea! I hate the water waste from baths so I've started using the indoor bath water to water my indoor plants. They love the low levels of eco-friendly, plant based soaps, and I love the re-use of water!

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